Ministers statements: Big Housing Build
Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:13): I wish to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s Big Housing Build. This massive program delivering more social and affordable housing is all the more critical given the pressures on all parts of the housing continuum right across the country at the moment. I just want to highlight a couple of great examples of our Big Housing Build. Last week I met the residents of the wonderful 42-apartment development in Bell Street, Heidelberg Heights – beautifully designed, energy-efficient, comfortable homes for people who have come off our social housing waitlist. I know it is a project that is well supported by the Minister for Police, the member for Ivanhoe. It was developed with Unison Housing. Another great development is the Markham estate in Ashburton. I have had the privilege of visiting that particular development with the member for Ashwood, and it is a great development – 111 modern public housing apartments being delivered. It is set amongst 67 affordable housing apartments as well. These are modern, energy-efficient and comfortable homes for people who need them the most. These are just a sample of the 12,000 social and affordable homes that we are building right across the state.
Importantly, the Big Housing Build is also generating around 10,000 jobs a year. When you visit these builds, as I have done with the Premier many times, you see the hundreds of brickies and concreters and chippies and tilers and plumbers and the paramount tradespeople – the sparkies – all busy building even more homes. This is the biggest investment in our nation at the moment in social and affordable housing and it is the biggest in our state’s history. It is making a difference to Victorians’ lives, particularly those Victorians who need it the most.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: I ask the Leader of the Opposition to cease referring to members by their names. They have titles that I would ask you to refer to them by.